Some Factors Influencing the Use of Information in Small Groups

Bibliographic Data

ID13666182
AuthorsMarvin E Shaw (University of Florida, corresponding author)
Year1961
Volume8
Issue2
Pages187-198
Publication date1961-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychological Reports (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-2941 • E-ISSN: 1558-691X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2466/pr0.1961.8.2.187
OpenAlexW2076851874
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited8

The effective use of information is essential for efficient group functioning. If group members do not apply to the group task the information which each possesses individually, effective group decisions are not possible. Despite the importance of this problem, relarively little research has been done with a view to isolating the variables which affect the use of information in groups. Perhaps the most directly related work is that of Maier (1950, 1953). He has shown that a leader who knows the correct solution to a problem is more effective in leading a group to that solution than is a leader who has not been given this information by E. He also demonstrated that a discussion leader is more effective when he leads the group to participate in solving the problem than when he tries to sell the correct solution to the group (Maier, 1953). A study by Shevitz (1955) has shown that exclusive possession of expert knowledge about a group problem results in a greater number of attempts to lead, and chat the effect of such possession is to secure status within his group for an individual and to differentiate him from other group members. Similarly, it has been shown that a person who has more information related to a problem solves the problem more quickly than group members who have more limited information (Gilchrist, Shaw, & Walker, 1954; Shaw, 1954). The studies cited above dealt exclusively with the effects of differential possession of information; none attempted to deal with variables related to differential usage of such information. Thus the question of what variables influence the use of information in a group is still open. On the basis of evidence gleaned from these studies, however, and on a priori grounds, it seems likely that three classes of variables will be related to the effective use of information in groups: ( a ) the narure of the information, ( b ) the personality characteristics of the individual who possesses the information, and (c ) the personality characteristics of the orher members of the group. With respect to the first of these, it may be expected that the important factors will be the objective probability that the information leads to correct solutions of problems to which it applies, and the subjective probability (the possessor's confidence) that the information will lead to correct solutions of

Complex Systems and Decision Making · Psychology · Social Psychology · Team Dynamics and Performance